Since I started seeing more and more squash (already!) in stores and at farmers market, I decided to pick up one of my favorite squash, butternut squash.
I love this picture, how it look with the sunset in the background.
The colors do show a fall afternoon…
I peeled it and then cut it into small pieces for roasting.
I roasted garlic along with the squash.
the picture is the empty shells after I removed the inside from them.
I was initially thinking about making homemade ravioli, but then I realized that would be a bit too much work for a weeknight dinner.
So I took a shortcut and used pot-sticker wrappers.
Super easy.
The texture is definitely different, but I do like these with the thinner wrappers, too.
Since the wrappers are so thin, I can see through the beautiful orange filling, which is pretty cool.
The filling was made with roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, maple syrup, and spices.
I mash the squash but I didn’t make it completely creamy, as I like a little texture.
I served these dumplings with walnut gravy and they were delicious!
This was the first time I used walnuts for sauce, and I absolutely loved what they can do.
The walnut cream gives a flavor depth as well as a beautiful color; it had a lighter color when creamed but when it was added to the sauce, it turned the sauce into this beautiful dark brown color!
Placed with the dumplings on the plate were sauteed spinach.
I love these spinach that have stems, and whenever I see fresh ones, I grab them.
This spinach is from Fresh Thyme.
roasted spiced butternut squash dumplings – makes about 16~20
– 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
– olive oil
– salt and pepper
– 1/2 garlic
– maple syrup
– sugar
– cinnamon
– ground dry ginger
– nutmeg
– salt and pepper
– about 16 to 20 pot-sticker wrappers
walnut gravy
– 1/3 cup walnut
– boiled water
– olive oil
– 2 garlic, chopped
– 1 small onion, chopped
– 1/2 can whole tomatoes (14oz), pureed
– cane sugar
– 1 bay leaf
– salt and pepper
– a pinch of baking soda
chopped parsley
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place butternut squash and garlic on a pan lined with foil. Sprinkle olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes or the squash and garlic are cooked through.
2. Combine the roasted squash, roasted garlic, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Roughly mash the squash and garlic.
3. Wrap the squash filling in wrappers.
4. Boil water in a pot. Place the dumplings in a small batch at a time. Cook for a few minutes; when the dumplings float up to the surface, they are done.
5. Make walnut gravy. Soak walnut in boiled water that barely covers the nuts for about a half hour.
6. Cook galic and onion in olive oil.
7. Add tomato puree, sugar, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and baking soda (a very tiny little bit at a time).
8. Puree the walnuts using a hand blender until creamy.
9. Add the walnut cream. Mix well. Salt and pepper, and maybe more sugar to achieve your preferred saltiness/sweetness.
10. Serve the dumplings with the gravy. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley.
